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Any fashion lover who’s ever built a capsule wardrobe or rediscovered their own personal style has probably experienced a lack of style confidence at one point. No matter how much work you put into building the “perfect” wardrobe, there comes a time when you question whether your clothing items are truly meant for you. This isn’t because there is something wrong with your wardrobe or that you don’t actually have great style – you may just need to make a simple change in how you look at your own style. This is when it’s time to build up your fashion confidence! If you are wondering exactly how to feel more confident with your wardrobe as soon as today, follow these style tips.
1. Have a Time of Personal Reflection
If you find yourself in a style rut, it’s time to sit back and reflect. Think about the clothes you need in your closet to make you feel like your true self. This is a great time to reference your dream fashion mood board if you have one. And if you don’t, here’s how to make one!
Try writing down 3 wardrobe goals and a plan for accomplishing them. An example of a wardrobe goal could be 80% neutral clothes and 20% accent colors to make styling your pieces together a breeze.
Another great wardrobe goal is to focus on clothes that highlight your best features. Your other goal could be hiring a color professional to help you achieve your unique style.
Writing down a goal and then accomplishing not only builds your confidence but helps you address the issues with your current style and wardrobe.
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2. Write Down 5 Things You Like About Your Appearance and Say Them Out Loud
It is so easy to let your inner critic control the way you look at yourself. This bad habit can be detrimental because the way we view ourselves is usually overly harsh and unrealistic. So unless you actively speak positively about yourself, your inner critic will ruin your self-confidence.
Try to be kind to yourself. Never say, “I can’t pull this off” or “This would look better if I was skinnier.” Rephrase the negative things you constantly tell yourself in a more positive and realistic way.
Instead of, “I can’t pull this off”, instead you could tell yourself, “This style doesn’t suit me as well as others do.” Or “This is a bold style, but I’m bold too.” Or “I can pull this off because it’s only a matter of a good attitude.”
Growing your confidence starts small. And as cheesy as it sounds, you truly do need to like yourself! Try to gain some self-confidence by writing 5 things you love about yourself. Boost your body confidence by saying what parts of your body you are grateful for out loud. The more you say it out loud, the more you will outsmart your inner critic.
Do you have long legs, curly hair, or a beautiful rich skin tone? Write down the best parts of your body!
Another good idea would be to jot down your personal strengths as well. Are you a dependable friend, employee, or sibling? Do you know how to keep a space neat? Write that down.
Lastly, write down what you are doing well with your wardrobe. Do you have a special eye for detail that others don’t? Are you someone that always finds the best things at thrift stores? Do you have a 6th sense for knowing when the best sales are?
Related: How To Build Your Confidence as a Woman
3. Turn Your Negatives Into Positives
A lot of people get focused on what they hate about their bodies while neglecting the positive things about themselves. Try to turn anything you regard as “body issues” into a positive!
If you have fair skin, don’t feel like you need to break out a spray tan – unless you want to. Because fair skin is actually a benefit as some colors look amazing against fair skin. For example, blush pink can flatter your fair skin tone. In spring, you can rock a millennial pink sweater or cardigan for a stylish look. A pale shade of green can be another right color for you as it is light enough to complement your skin without washing you out.
Or let’s say you are starting to notice some gray hairs. You don’t have to frantically book an appointment at your hair salon! There are many different ways to make gray work for you. Get inspiration from popular gray-hair bloggers like Carla Martin. Find people that are confident in what they have and gravitate towards them. Truly embracing what you have and who you are is one of the best ways to grow your self-confidence.
Another example of turning negatives into positives is loving your small bust. In a world where “bigger is better”, it can be easy to let the world make you feel as if you aren’t good enough.
But if you have a small bust, it usually means you can wear lower-cut tops without feeling too exposed. And when it comes to finding the best swimsuits? Smaller-chested women usually have more options because what may look “XXX” rated on one woman may look cute on another.
4. Stop Focusing Soley on the Latest Trends
You might not feel confident with your wardrobe because you have too many trendy clothes. Now, not all new trends are bad. However, if certain pieces only look great during a specific time, you may constantly feel as if your wardrobe is dated.
It may be time to reconsider stocking up on closet staples. Clean out your unworn clothes from the past and make room for classics. The right clothes to always turn to are a timeless pair of jeans, white sneakers, and of course, a white button-down. For more ideas, reference our minimalist wardrobe checklist.
5. Don’t Compare Yourself to People Who Have a Different Body Shape Than You
As the old adage goes, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Comparing your body type to someone who has a different shape than you can make a huge impact on your confidence. And not in a good way.
The more you compare yourself to others, the more you will start hating everything you wear because it doesn’t fit your body like the person you compare yourself to. But of course, it doesn’t, because you’re not THEM!
I know it’s not easy to escape the beauty standard the media continuously enforces. Plus, it seems like it’s always changing. First being Kardashian curvy was the goal but now being thin is? It’s impossible to keep up but it is possible to define what you consider attractive. And you know what your one and only standard is? YOU!
But if you do want outside inspiration and you’re not in a good place mentally, a good idea is to get the majority of your style inspiration from someone with a similar body type as you. For example, if you are a mature plus-sized woman, follow other plus-size women on Instagram.
You might learn new ways to style the clothes in your wardrobe. You don’t have to copy everything they do, but you can add your own flair. Or maybe you can feel inspired by someone feeling confident in their own body. Confidence rubs off!
It can be fun and helpful to branch out and gather inspiration from all different women but do it when you’re mentally ready and in a good space to look at different body types.
6. Find the Outfit Combinations You Love the Most
Pick out one or two outfits that make you feel like your best self. Then use these outfits as a framework to create new outfits.
What key elements of the outfits do you love? The color, material, style, or silhouette? By asking yourself these questions, you will easily create the best style reference for yourself.
7. Practice!
Style confidence comes with a lot of practice. The style icons or bloggers you look up to were not magically born with confidence! It is a skill they developed over time.
So with that being said, don’t beat yourself up if you aren’t immediately confident with your wardrobe. Practice consistently and you will achieve your goals!
Following these top tips will make a huge difference in how you feel about your wardrobe. Start practicing these tips on how to feel more confident with your wardrobe and go out into the world with your head held high. You’ve got this.
Another way you can learn how to feel more confident with your wardrobe is by knowing how to style what you already own. Up next: 12 Stylish Outfit Combinations Using Things You Already Have in Your Wardrobe
